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Summer Vegetarian Paella

A seasonal, vegetarian riff on the classic, this paella is a beautiful main course that's the perfect weekend or date-night dinner.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Servings: 2 to 3 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Spanish

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup short grain brown rice
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 small yellow onion minced
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika pimentón
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
  • 3/4 cup cooked chickpeas drained/rinsed if using canned
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 medium zucchini cut into 1/4" thick slices
  • 1 medium summer squash cut into 1/4" thick slices
  • parsley for serving
  • Lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add the rice. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and, cook for 25 minutes.
  2. While the rice is cooking, In a 8″ cast iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Stir in diced onion and minced garlic, cooking for 4-5 minutes. Next, add 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon turmeric; cook for one minute.
  3. Next, add the roughly diced tomato, chickpeas, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Give a good stir and cook until tomatoes start to boil, 3-4 minutes.
  4. Stir in the cooked rice and ½ cup of the hot rice water. Finish with the vegetable broth then layer the zucchini/squash on top. Continue to cook until the rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed; 30 or so minutes. The goal is to leave it cooking for 5 or so minutes longer so the rice on the bottom is crisp. Serve with a sprinkle of parsley and lemon juice.

Notes

  • Tips + Tricks: This recipe is specific to using short-grain brown rice. I've found this type of rice doesn't cook well in tomatoes, hence the pre-cooking. If you decide to use a different variety of rice (like the rice traditionally used in paella), don't pre-cook.
  • Use up leftover ingredients: brown rice, zucchini, chickpeas
  • Links: Recipe adapted from A Couple Cooks